Tuesday, April 22, 2014

More Trouble in Rushmoreville?

It's not a stretch to say that Mr. Roosevelt was one of the founding fathers of American Imperialism. As Vice President and later as President, he got us involved in a three year long occupation of the Philippines in which upwards of 200,000 mostly innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered. It was easily one of the most horrible episodes in U.S. history and in order to justify it, TR of course fell back upon the same type of virulent racism that characterized many from the early progressive movement. He claimed specifically that these Filipinos were little more than "savages, half-breeds, and a wild and ignorant people" and that they obviously needed to be civilized. To say that this fellow was racist just about sums it up, folks.

Neither Coolidge or Cleveland were electrifying politicians on the level of Rough Riding TR and Man of the People FDR.

But I do get your point Will. Thinking about US History (and I just might ponder) it occurred to me that we have been on a liberal trajectory beginning with our founders and have for the most part remained on course. There have of course been exceptions, call them minor course adjustments , but it seems clear we've gotten that which we ordered.

Oh boy.....look out...batten down the hatches.....hide the women and children.......RN is going to Ponder.....light the fire.....dust of the smoking jacket....get the ascot....warm the brandy.....the professor of brain droppings is about to actually ponder.And we can all witness his pondering.

You make a good case, Jerry, but I was referring to the early day modern progressives; TR, Woodrow Wilson (he segregated the federal work force AND the military), John Maynard Keynes, H.G. Wells, Margaret Sanger, H.L. Mencken - all of those folks were racists, hard-core racists.